Andrew Farrell
Ring of Pain is an immensely enjoyable experience that can be monumentally frustrating due to its luck-focused nature. It has excellent mechanics and really has a way of worming itself into your brain. But it can be horribly aggravating all the same.
The game's excellent presentation goes wonderfully with its surprising amount of variety. The game might not be scary, but it is thought-provoking and unique, which makes it more than worth a look from narrative adventure fans.
YesterMorrow is a thoroughly enjoyable, challenging 2D platformer with excellent pixel artwork and lots of familiar tropes. No one will be impressed by the story or the uniqueness of anything it has to offer, but the consistently strong game design and tight controls make it well worth playing all the same.
The Pathless is a lovely game that just begs to be explored. The serenity it can provide and the satisfying feeling of locating rewards make it an experience that can be easily recommended.
Excellent gameplay, unique ideas, and a strong presentation make for an easily recommendable narrative puzzle platformer.
Pascal's Wager may have been a mobile Souls-like, but don't let that fool you. It's a distinct, enjoyable game in its own right, with a lot of challenges and plenty of characters to master.
Undeniably odd, yet constantly willing to be accessible, Mundaun has a lot to offer anyone fond of horror and exploration.
While on the short side and not particularly original, Kaze and the Wild Masks is an exceptional 2D platformer filled with well designed, engaging levels and tight, responsive controls.
Stirring, artistic, and emotionally resonant, Genesis Noir is quite a unique experience. The puzzles can be tedious, but the game makes up for it with gorgeous art direction and sterling creativity.
It might look unassuming, but In My Shadow is a deeply enjoyable puzzle-platforming with great shadow mechanics. The difficulty curve is just right, the puzzles themselves are varied and fun to solve, and I just like positioning armchairs for maximum verticality.
Cerebral and engrossing, Insurmountable succeeds at making a tactical mountain-climbing rogue-lite. No frostbite required.
A satisfying combination of action platformer and strategy game. The former might be notably better here than the latter, but Smelter is a decently long game with great visuals and gameplay.
It jumps between gameplay styles more than I expected and doesn't scratch the same itch as its predecessor, but this is a damn good game that every fan of the series needs to play.
A better version of a great game with lots to do and intrigue abound. Ys IX is another winner for the venerable series and it's a far better port than its predecessor.
Short, but without an ounce of fat, Flynn: Son of Crimson is well worth a playthrough due to its excellent controls and great level design.
Gorgeous, creative, and ever so compelling, I Am Fish is a bold step forward for Bossa Studios, despite some aggravations.
The Last Friend is a hell of a fun time, combining action-packed combat and flashy tower defense into a killer package. It's a bit short and too easy, but these dogs will have their day.
The plot meanders and the game is somewhat too long, but it's still a great time and well worth experiencing for Guardians fans.
Intriguing and startlingly original, Exo One offers a quiet, meditative experience that's both foreign and mysterious.
Short but undeniably lovely and containing some of the best 3D platforming money can buy, Castle on the Coast soars, only to be held back some by uneven pacing.